The Kings
by thelittlekeeton
Summary: Raven Akakiyo hasn't been seen or heard from in eight years. But when she saves Tatara Totsuke the night of Dec. 7th, everything changes for Mikoto Suoh and his clan. After so many years apart is it possible for an old friendship to be fixed? And what does the clan have to say? (Yata x OC)
1. Introduction

The streets below were packed and the air was bitter. A dark cold had fallen once just sun went down, but I may have been the only soul to notice. With the shining neon of the city it was almost easy to convince myself that all was just right with the world. But that's just too naïve of a thought.

"The cold must be getting to me again." I muttered to the sky. "December is such a cruel month."

Shizume city was just as busy as always. I sighed to myself as I took in the sights from my rooftop perch. Another day had come and gone as if nothing had changed. Everyone was consumed by their own selfish needs, never slowing down to appreciate the beauty around them. The night was dragging on slowly and that's when I heard it. A single gunshot echoed across the rooftops. I stood and closed my eyes for just a moment, locating the source of the sound. There, a few building to the east. I took off at a sprint, jumping from building to building, keeping my eyes open for the person who fired the shot. Finally two men caught my eye. I stopped one building away, observing the scene. One man was on the ground, blood quickly pooling around his body. The other man was standing over him laughing, the gun pointed down. His hair was white as snow and he was wearing a school uniform.

" _That's from Ashinake High School." I thought. "How does he even have a gun?"_

He was saying something I couldn't quite make out from where I was hidden, but I could tell from the way he moved his arm he was about to take a second shot. I made a snap decision and leapt onto the roof of the two young men. The one with the gun turned to me, faltering for just a moment, but that was all that I needed. I grabbed him by his wrist, pulling his body towards mine. I brought my knee up quickly, striking him in the stomach. He dropped the gun and fell to the ground at my feet, coughing. I kicked the gun away and turned my attention to the bleeding young man. I kneeled by his side and ripped his shirt open, trying to get a look at the damage. He was bleeding profusely and I knew that time was not on my side. I lifted him upright, tearing his shirt completely off, and feeling along his back for an exit wound. That's when I saw the fiery emblem on his shoulder.

"W-who are you?" he choked out.

I knew that voice. For the first time since my arrival on the rooftop, I looked at the boy's face. Ashy blonde hair hung down in his eyes and a silver hoop glinted in his left ear.

"Shit…" I muttered. "Totsuka Tatara."

"Y-you kn-know m-"

"Shut up." I cut him off. "I'm going to help you. You've lost a lot of blood so it would be best for you to just lie as still as you can and don't say anything."

He nodded and I set to work. It was then that I realized I was wearing my favorite outfit today. A short dark green skirt with black, thigh high tights and ankle boots adorned my legs and my top was covered by an oversized light gray sweater with a black tank top underneath. My waist length black hair fell in waves from underneath my black beanie and my ears looked as if they were shining from all the piercings in them. I looked down at my sweater before cursing up at the sky.

"Dammit all." I grumbled while removing my sweater. "I'm about to get really fucking cold."

I ripped the shirt down the middle on front and back. After folding the two pieces, I placed one behind the wound in Tatara's back and one on the opening in his chest. I leaned on his body with all my weight but the rapid flow of blood wasn't slowing down. I could feel his pulse getting weaker beneath my hands and the color was draining from his skin.

"Shit! I wasn't quick enough!"

"H-hey, it'll all – work out – in the end…" Tatara breathed.

"The hell it will!" I screamed. "Nothing will be alright if you die! Think about your clan! Listen, I can still save you, but you have to make a decision right now. Do you want to die?"

He looked at me, clearly confused.

"W-wha-"

"Just answer the fucking question! Do you want to die tonight?"

"N-no, of course not!"

"Then you've chosen a second chance."

I closed my eyes and felt a pain tugging at my soul as I released a power that had been lying dormant deep inside of me for several years. A long black tail and wings as black as a raven's erupted from my back. My already sharp canines elongated further and my eyes turned as blue as sapphires. A bright light enveloped us, rivaling the shine of a thousand diamonds. I put my hands centimeters above Tatara's chest, covering him with a power that was mine alone to control. I felt the energy travel from my body to his as the diamond like glow intensified. Then just as quickly as it had come, it was gone, leaving no trace other than my bright eyes and sharp teeth, as well as Tatara's now perfectly healed body.

"W-what did you do?!" he asked.

He looked at me but his attention was captured by something over my shoulder. Afraid that the other man from earlier had come back, I got to my feet and stood protectively in front of the boy I had just saved. However, instead of the white haired young man, I was now facing a boy who looked the same age as Tatara. He was clad in a white, V-neck sweater, dark green shorts, calf socks, and skating shoes. A red sweater was tied around his waist and a black beanie was shoved over his chestnut hair. Just behind him stood an older, taller man with hair almost identical to Tatara's. He was wearing dark sunglasses despite the fact it was night time and he was dressed in a white dress shirt, red tie, and black dress pants. An unlit cigarette hung from his lips and a lighter was pinched between the index finger and thumb of his left hand.

"Well, bloody hell." I sighed.

"It's been quite a long time since I've seen you." The taller man said. "Akakiyo Raven, the demon strain."

I smirked and placed on hand on my hip, raising my chin slightly.

"Kusanagi Izumo. I see you still haven't quit that disgusting habit of yours."

It was his turn to smile then. He pocketed the lighter and grabbed the end of the cigarette before putting it with the lighter. He approached me slowly and I stepped out of his way, clearing a path to Tatara, who was still laying on the ground. I squatted next to him, propping my forearms on my thighs. He looked up at me and grinned.

"So, I guess I'm supposed to say thank you, huh? I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up." 

"Tch. You would be dead." I stated bluntly. "Come on, get up."

He stood and looked down at his blood free body.

"While I'm grateful for the help, what did you do to me?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but I was cut off by Kusanagi.

"She gave you immortality. By doing so, she healed your wounds and gave you a second chance at life."

"Wha-?! You can do that? How? Are you in a clan?"

"Shh!" I hissed. "You'll wake the entire city if you keep yelling like that. But yes, I really just did that."

Tatara began a long rant that started with him saying thank you, but it quickly turned into a forty questions game about what I had just done. I spaced out a little while half listening to the kid. He had grown up a lot since I had last seen him. Aside from his hair being longer and his height, he had a mature air about him. It was almost as if he carried an invisible weight behind that vibrant smile of his. I knew that was ridiculous though. Tatara was always a lively kid and he got picked on for it, but he chose the best people to be around to help him out. I caught myself smiling and glanced at Kusanagi. He nodded his thanks to me as well but never interrupted Tatara's never ending train of thought.

"What the hell?!"

I snapped my head in the direction of the younger guy. I had forgotten he was still there, in the same spot as earlier. He stomped over to Tatara and hit him in the back of the head.

"What the fuck did you think you were doing?! You never go out by yourself, and definitely not at night! You can't fight! You almost got yourself killed you dumbass!" He turned his glare to Kusanagi, blushing slightly. "A-and about the girl. How do you know her Mr. Kusanagi?"

It was clear he was upset, and with good reason, so Kusanagi placed his hand on the boy's head.

"Easy Yatagarasu. How about we go back to the bar and talk everything over there? We need to tell him what happened anyway. Oh," he glanced at me, "I'm sure he'll want to see you too, Raven. It's been too long."

The chestnut haired boy nodded and I felt my stomach drop to my toes.

" _Him. Mikoto Suoh."_


	2. The Story

Twenty minutes later I found myself in a place I hadn't been in a very long time. I was standing outside of a corner bar with HOMRA on the front. Tatara and the other guy had already walked in, leaving me with Kusanagi. Every part of my brain was screaming at me to just run away and never look back. But, buried deep in a part of my heart that I thought I could forget, was an urge to step inside. I groaned and dropped into a squat, pressing my hands against the sides of my head.

"I can't do this Kusanagi." I mumbled. "There's just no way."

I heard three soft taps and then a warm hand came down gently on my head.

"Come on. You were never afraid before."

"Tch. Shut the hell up. Things were different anyway."

He laughed and stepped up to the door, pushing it open. I followed close behind, my eyes going wide at the sight before me. Though it was still the same bar I had left behind, it was completely different. The beautiful imported bar that Kusanagi treasured was now surrounded by all sorts of antiques, collectibles, and other knick knacks. Couches, booths, tables, and barstools were placed neatly throughout the room and in every single seat, was a human I had never seen. Tatara was at the bar talking to a young girl with long white hair. The boy with the beanie was arguing with a larger guy clad in a white track suit, sunglasses, and a ton of gold jewelry. There were others scattered around some sitting, some standing. They all looked incredibly comfortable with each other and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. I was beginning to think I could relax when Kusanagi started walking to the bar. As soon as they could see me all conversation came to a halt. I followed him to an empty barstool next to Tatara, who smiled warmly at me. Several painfully quiet seconds passed then it was like a symphony of exclamations all at once.

"There's a girl?!"

"Where did you find her?"

"Is she a friend of Tatara?"

I was facing the ash blonde boy when an arm landed around my shoulders. I turned my head in surprise and came nose to nose with a tall man. His caramel eyes and light brown hair were dangerously close to me. He grinned devilishly then leaned back.

"My name is Yo Chitose. I think it's lovely to see a woman as beautiful as yourself in a place like this."

He grabbed my hand and pressed his lips to my knuckles, never breaking eye contact. I was certain my mouth was as wide as my eyes in that moment. No sooner than he had pulled away, a fist came down through the air, striking him in the back of the head. I jerked back in surprise, one arm leaning on the bar, the other in front of my chest.

"Chitose! Knock it off you pervert! Don't go scaring girls like that!"

"Ouch! Yata, you dumbass, that hurt!"

"It was supposed to, moron! Maybe now you'll learn to quit being such a horny dog!"

"Hey, Yata, I think you're scaring her more than Chitose." 

It was the guy in the track suit. He walked over slowly and out his hands on the shorter boys shoulder. The beanie wearing man obviously didn't appreciate it because he turned his glare on the other boy.

"Shut up, fatass! No one asked you anyway!"

"Enough."

Kusanagi had come around from behind the bar and was glaring at the three boys.

"If any of you get a single scratch on my beautiful bar I'll skin you alive." 

"But Mr. Kusanagi, that idiot started it!"

"I don't care." He stated, grabbing the boy by the back of the shirt and lifting him of the ground. "Listen shorty, it doesn't matter to me who started what. I just know that if you want to fight, you can take it outside, away from my bar."

He then dropped the guy and leaned on the back of my chair.

"Now, why don't we all pretend to be civilized gentlemen and introduce ourselves to the young lady."

They all nodded and one by one I met everyone in HOMRA. Masaomi Dewa was the first to come up. He was a lanky looking fellow and looked almost too nerdy for the group. With thick rimmed glasses and a dark red bowler hat you wouldn't really think anything of him. Kosuke Fujishima was next. His red hair was short and spiked with a noticeable widows peak. He had simple looped earring in both ears. The dirty blonde with a HOMRA hat and hoodie was Saburota Bando. He seemed like a nice guy with a kind smile. He was also much more talkative than the previous two. After him came Shohei Akagi. Just like Bando he had on a HOMRA hat and was incredibly friendly. The guy after him wore a simple gray hoodie and jeans. The hood was pulled over his head, shoving his shaggy blonde hair into his eyes. Eric Solt was how he introduced himself, and that was really all he said. Rikio Kamamoto was the name of the larger guy in the track suit. Despite his incredibly thuggish appearance he was actually really nice. He didn't seem like the brightest of guys but at least he was kind.

"I know you said you know me already but I'm Tatara Totsuke. And this," he said leaning back, "is Anna Kushiana. She's everyone's favorite."

The girl looked at me for a long moment before holding a red marble in front of her eye. A small smile graced her lips and she put the gem away. I took that as her way of saying hello and I smiled back.

"You know who I am." Kusanagi grinned. "But this rotten kid here is Yata Misaki."

He put his hand on the boys head and twisted his beanie.

"Hey! Knock it off, Mr. Kusanagi. I could have introduced myself."

"But Yata, she's a girl!" Chitose teased.

"Shut up!" Yata yelled. "I can see that!"

I couldn't help but smile, until I realized that I was supposed to introduce myself next. I cleared my throat to speak but was cut off by the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. I could feel and incredible pressure building around me but no one else seemed to notice. Slowly I felt a sense of panic beginning to build in my stomach. My eyes were glued to the bottom of the stairs, waiting. As the footsteps grew louder, a voice joined them.

"Oi, what's with all the noise?"

Black boots came into view first. They were quickly followed by black jeans, a white V-neck with leather jacket, and fiery red hair. Piercing caramel eyes scanned the room lazily. I sucked in my breath, waiting on him to notice my presence. However, Kusanagi saved me.

"Sorry about the volume, Mikoto, but something happened and we needed everyone here."

Mikoto turned his attention to Kusanagi with a serious look on his face.

"What happened?"

"Well, I sort of got shot." Tatara announced, scratching the back of his head.

The bar was once again filled with gasps and yelling. Some were demanding to know who did it, others were trying to find out if he was okay. Yata, who was closest, and who already knew what had happened, was trying to calm some of them down. Kusanagi was desperately protecting his bar and attempting to aid Yata in calming down everyone in the room. I took advantage of the fact I had been forgotten and slid down in my seat.

"Enough."

With only one word, Mikoto had silenced the entire room. His eyes focused on Tatara. Though he had the same bored expression as always, it was clear in his eyes that he was upset.

"Explain."

With a deep breath, Tatara began telling his story. He had gone on the roof to film the city lights when he noticed the white haired boy. He tried to make small talk with him, but the boy turned around and pointed a gun at him. Before he had a chance to act, the assailant had shot him. At this point he turned around to me.

"That's when she showed up! She scared the guy away and then did this really cool magic thing and saved me. We were covered in this beautiful light and I got this strange feeling all over. Then it was gone and I was healed. The only reason I'm alive is because of her."

He smiled but then a puzzled look crossed his features.

"What did you say your name was again?"

"Her name is Akakiyo Raven." Mikoto said for me. "She is one of the incredibly rare strains referred to as demon strains."

" _So much for not being noticed…"_

"You could have let her introduce herself, Mikoto." Kusanagi said. "Even if you already know her."

"Mr. Mikoto! You know her?!" Yata asked. "How?"

The fiery red head raised an eyebrow at me, almost as if challenging me to stay quiet. I sighed as a familiar feeling settled in my stomach, replacing the anxiety that had been there only moments before.

"Mikoto, Kusanagi, and I all grew up together." I explained. "They knew I was a strain and did their best to help me learn to control my abilities. Demon strains are incredibly rare and as powerful as a king if they can learn the full extent of what they can do. For that very reason, kings kill them as soon as they are found, no matter how old or innocent they are. Kusanagi and Mikoto kept me safe for the entirety of our childhood, but one day he met you, Tatara. You, this anti-fighting kid, just pops up out of nowhere and tells Mikoto that he's going to be a king. I didn't believe you at first, but soon after he started developing a sanctum. That's when I knew I had to leave."

There was a heavy silence, but Rikio spoke up, cutting through it.

"Wait, so if you were friends, why did you have to leave when he became a king? Were you jealous?"

"No, no. It was nothing like that." I insisted, holding my hands up defensively.

"If you abandoned him, that's the same as betraying him." Yata muttered. "Even if you weren't his clansman, you were his friend."

" _Wow this kid really knows how to hit you where it hurts."_

"That's enough Yata." Kusanagi interrupted. "Let her finish her story. This is more for her good than anyone else's."

"I didn't leave Mikoto because I was jealous, and I definitely didn't see it as betrayal. I was afraid at first. I was afraid that once he became a king he would change his mind about me. I was afraid that he would see me the way other kings did and try to get rid of me. But it was more than that. Kings have a duty to protect their clansmen. If I had become one, if he had chosen to continue treating me the same, can you imagine the danger I would have put everyone in? There would be no hiding my abilities once they were mixed with Mikoto's. Plus, it's no secret that he has anger issues. Tatara and Anna had finally convinced him that he wielded the power to protect, not destroy. I knew if I had stuck around he would have gotten in more fights on my behalf than anything else. I wanted to keep him safe as well as his future clan."

ha

I looked over at Mikoto to find him smirking at me. It was then that all the tension I had been carrying for the past eight years finally became too much. Hot tears spilled from my eyes and I shoved my hands over my face. I had acted selfishly and created a burden that didn't even exist. Mikoto's anger at me was something I had created as a means to stay away from him. Just that little smile on his lips was all that I needed from him to prove that nothing had changed. He still counted me as a friend. I turned to Kusanagi and he was smiling as well.

"H-hold on. You said you have the same power as a king, but I've never met a king that could do what Tatara just explained." Fujishima said.

"Well in truth, she didn't just heal him." Kusanagi corrected him. "She gave him immortality."

"That's impossible!" Bando exclaimed. "Only the silver king has immortality! Even he can't give that to somebody else!"

"Now you see why Kusanagi and I protected her when we were younger." Mikoto explained. "The abilities of a demon strain are infinite, and she can only be killed by a king. We helped her control her latent ability that way she could live undetected."

"Then wouldn't it have been smarter for you to stay by Mikoto when he became king?" Rikio asked me.

"Yea, I mean, I get why you left, but it sounds to me like the safest place for you has always been by Mikoto, as a clansman." Chitose suggested.

"I didn't want to put anyone in danger." I muttered. "I thought that if I left without telling anyone where I was going, it would keep everyone out of trouble."

Mikoto walked over and stared down at me. He was frowning and for just a moment I thought that maybe he really was angry. But then he did something he hadn't done in a long time. He reached out his arms and pulled me off the barstool, into his chest.

"M-Mr. Mikoto!" Yata gasped.

"Next time you feel like doing something stupid, don't." Mikoto mumbled over my head. "I'm a king. That means I can protect the things I care about."

He let me go and smiled. I smiled back through the tears that were still coming down my face.

"Don't worry. I don't think I'll be going anywhere this time."

I felt a tug on my sleeve and looked down to see Anna. She had a serious look on her that didn't seem to suit her. Her marble was held up to her eye as she stared at me. Suddenly she turned to Mikoto with a confused look.

"Mikoto." She said quietly. "She already has a color."

"Yea!" Tatara piped up. "When she saved me this really bright light surrounded us. At first I didn't pay any attention, but now that I think about it, she sparkled. Like a diamond!"

"Don't worry about that." Kusanagi said, leaning on the bar. "She's going to have a beautiful red."

I snapped my head around quick enough to give myself whiplash.

"What?!" A chorus of voices sounded from around me.

"Are you really suggesting that a girl joins HOMRA?"

"Can she fight?"

"Tatara said she scared away the guy with a gun, so I guess so."

"She belongs with her family." Mikoto's voice rang out about the noise.

"We can't say no to our king." Yata blushed. "E-even if she is a girl."

Simultaneously the clan agreed with him and I found myself once again facing Mikoto over me. I stood, my small frame completely dwarfed by him.

" _Jeez, my eyes are level with his chest."_

He held out his right hand, offering it to me. As I reached for it bright red flames erupted from his skin. Our fingers had barely touched before the flames intensified greatly, covering the entirety of my body. To my surprise, they weren't hot at all. It felt as if they were filling me from the inside out, hunting for any reason to burn me, but finding none. Several gasps were heard and even Mikoto made an attempt to pull his hand away. I closed my eyes and tightened my grip on his hand as the fire grew brighter, my own power mixing with this new gift. Finally, the heat settles just between my heart and my collarbone, before disappearing altogether. Mikoto let go of my hand only to gently brush his fingers across my exposed collar. I had forgotten that I no longer had on my sweater, and I felt myself blush at his touch.

"It's good to see you're officially where you belong." He grinned.

"Hey, Yata!" Chitose called, draping his arm over me. "Her tattoo is in the same place as yours! It must be fate!"

Several of the guys laughed while Yata's cheeks turned pink.

"Shut the hell up, you fucking perv!" he yelled. "And get your hands off her! Your ugly mug is gonna scare her away!"

The two continued their fight, somehow managing to pull Rikio into it. I laughed as I watched them arguing. Everyone began to relax back into chairs and couches now that all the excitement of the night was over. I felt a tap on my arm and turned to Tatara.

"Hey Raven, I was wondering something."

"What is it?"

"You said you grew up with Mikoto and Kusanagi. That means you're the same age as them, right?"

"Well, technically, yes. I'm twenty six, one year younger than Mikoto, but, being immortal kind of voids out the need for me to state an age. I could live for the next hundred years. Thankfully I can choose what I look like, just like the silver king."

"So you could date any guy you wanted and it wouldn't matter how old he is because you can make yourself look the same age."

"Y-yea I guess. But I don't plan on hunting down a fifteen year old. Or an old man for that matter. But why are you asking me this?"

He ignored me and turned to the room where the boys were still arguing.

"Yata, there's still hope!" he yelled.

This time Yata wasn't the only one that blushed. I felt my face heat up and I balled my fists up on the bar.

"I'm twenty one, not twelve you asshole!" Yata yelled back. "And don't bring up things like that when no one else is thinking it!"

Tatara opened his mouth to say something but I slapped my palm over it.

"If you value your life, you will stay quiet." I threatened, dropping my hand.

He laughed and I felt my lips turn up with him. Yata crossed his arms and sat on the couch by the door, pretending to ignore Tatara.

" _This is the craziest place I've ever seen. It's clear to see that they all look out for each other. I really don't know why I left Mikoto in the first place."_

I felt relaxed and relieved. I was back with Mikoto, where I belonged. That's when the red head turned to Tatara.

"Do you still have your camera?" he asked, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"Yea, I've got it. Why do you ask?"

"If you were recording, that means the guy who shot you is on video. I want to know the face of the man who was stupid enough to attack HOMRA."


	3. PSA (not a chapter)

Hey guys! I'm sorry for the incredibly long and unnecessary hiatus, but I had to deal with some personal issues. I've got a new chapter on the way for you soon so don't worry Raven's story isn't finished yet! Thank you for being so patient and I truly appreciate all the views, reviews, favorites, and follows! Much love to all of you from thelittlekeeton!


End file.
